Comparison

PATHLOCK vs Lantern Bluff

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PATHLOCK

Engage in a minimalist 1v1 strategy board game where players strategically place pawns and walls to outmaneuver opponents. Enjoy quick, skill-based matches with no luck or pay-to-win elements.

Highlights
  • 1v1 strategy, no luck
  • Easy to learn, hard to master
  • Fast matches
  • Pass-and-play mode
  • Bot opponents (Easy, Medium, Hard)
  • Online matchmaking
  • Private friend rooms
Features
Read full description

Move your pawn or place a wall. Be the first to cross the board. That's the whole rule — and the start of a thousand decisions. PATHLOCK is a clean, premium strategy board game where every turn forces a choice: race forward, or build a wall to slow your rival down. Walls can twist the path but can never fully trap an opponent, so the duel always comes down to pure tactics. Simple to learn in 30 seconds, deep enough to play for years. WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • True 1v1 strategy — no luck, no dice, no pay-to-win. Just you, your opponent, and the board. • Easy to learn, hard to master — beginners start instantly, experts find endless depth. • Fast matches — a full game fits into a coffee break. GAME MODES FOR EVERY MOMENT • Pass-and-play — share one device and challenge a friend across the table. • Bot opponents — train against Easy, Medium, or Hard AI that actually fights back. • Online matchmaking — get paired with a real opponent in seconds. • Private friend rooms — share a room code and start a match with anyone, anywhere. FAIR BY DESIGN PATHLOCK is built on one promise: never pay to win. Every purchase is purely cosmetic or a convenience like removing ads. Skill decides the match — nothing else. PERFECT IF YOU LIKE • Chess, checkers, and abstract strategy • Tactical puzzles and pathfinding challenges • Quick competitive 1v1 games with friends • Board games with deep, skill-based gameplay Think two moves ahead. Block the path. Lock the win. Download PATHLOCK and start your first duel now. — Subscriptions and purchases are optional and cosmetic only. Terms: https://pathlock.bovasoft.com/terms · Privacy: https://pathlock.bovasoft.com/privacy · Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Lantern Bluff

Features
Read full description

You can see only two of each lantern's four sides. Deduce its hidden value, read your opponent's intentions, and compete for the best lanterns in this two-player strategy game. ■ Simple rules, deep mind games Six lanterns hide different scores. Use the light and darkness visible from your side—plus one private inspection—to work out which lanterns are worth taking. ■ Claim, steal, or lock Place a marker to claim a lantern, play over your opponent to steal it, or stack your own marker to lock it in. Every small decision can turn the match. ■ Four ways to play - Practice against the CPU - Share one iPhone for a pass-and-play match - Challenge a friend with a room code - Play ranked matches against opponents online ■ Ratings and rankings Raise your rating through online matches and climb the leaderboard. Review your match record anytime. No ads and no in-app purchases. Every mode is free to play.

Screenshots

PATHLOCK4 screens
Lantern Bluff4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lantern Bluff at none against PATHLOCK's 8. Lantern Bluff also leads on ads (none vs shown). PATHLOCK's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.4). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PATHLOCK sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Lantern Bluff asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PATHLOCK versus Lantern Bluff: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPATHLOCKLantern Bluff
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBora OksuzogluRyusei Okamoto

In-app purchases

8 purchases

PATHLOCK

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$12.991 Year
One-time6
  • 50 Diamonds$2.99
  • 120 Diamonds$4.90
  • 260 Diamonds$9.90
Show 3 more
  • Remove Ads$9.99
  • 550 Diamonds$19.90
  • 1200 Diamonds$39.90
None

Lantern Bluff

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PATHLOCK free?
PATHLOCK is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lantern Bluff free?
Lantern Bluff is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PATHLOCK or Lantern Bluff have ads?
PATHLOCK shows ads; Lantern Bluff does not.

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